Happy holiday, happy election, happy November to you! I'm sure yours will be much better than R. Kelly's! Talk about drama! Look to the old guys when in doubt about how to behave during a national tour. Business is business. When ticket prices are $85.00 each you really do owe something to your fans when you hit the stage! Not to get church on you, but what would Miles Davis have done? His job! Don't worry, some of us have seen enough professionals work with stage issues before, the show is supposed to go on!

We have a show of our own to run at Crazy Pinoy this month and nobody here is going to tank! Starting with the Pot Luck (Lost Koast Productionz) project out of northern Cali, this record is steadily growing and we hope all our tastemakers have an opportunity to check these guys out. Contact us for cd or vinyl. Next, Noc On Wood Records (Seattle) has a nice blueprint made up for its first quarter push, and you don't want to get in the way of their headlights! Noc Rage, MadRo, Pop and Gator are ready to mow the streets, stay tuned for this! And everything you hear this holiday season is about video games so you know Crazy Pinoy is in this mix with EA Sports FIFA 2005 and NBA 2005.

The rumors are running rampant.. United Nations Of L.A. is planning the upcoming Sagittarius Ball at Seahawk Stadium/ Qwest Field, Seattle, in December. Is Nate Dogg, Guru, EA Sports, Armadale, ARS Records, Crazy Pinoy and Marcus Truffant involved? We'll see.

Congrats are in order to Jus Family Records and its 9th annual Poh Hop weekend. Another much needed and successful Northwest conference to further establish urban Industry in this corner of the marketplace.

Very special thanks to RapAttacklives.com, Universal Media One, AV8 Records, V Steakhouse, SoHo Grand Hotel, Bryant Park Hotel, Quo, The Supper Club, Cafe Amiana, The Mark Hotel, and all the participants at H.U.S.T.L.E. 2004, New York.

Wow! Fantastic new rates for commercials on Music Inner City television, Seattle? I'm there! Contact Gordon at www.MusicInnerCity.com for info.

It was during the benefit party for Eric "Capo" Scarlett's very young widow and their child in Seattle last week that I decided this month's column would not pass without some love for the people and values I care about. You see, one important thing I observed at that event was how unprepared many were about Eric's thoughts or plans and the possibility he wouldn't be here today to let anyone know how much he was working, why he was doing it and what or who he looked after or was inspired by...................So..............

YEAR END SHOUTING: Eric Scarlett, first my thanks to you. Had I known, we would have pulled over and chatted instead of waving at each other through sunroofs on the street in Redmond, Washington early last month. Your work was an inspiration!

Jamie, an absolute rock in a world of day old Jello, you chose me when I started all over with nothing but an idea for Seattle.

To Nasty Nes, you put me on the platform and let me work.

To Rob WIlliams, Silver Shadow D, Larry and Tina Graham, Ron Nadel, Michael Jackson, Frank Kavelin, Paul and Yvonne Mooney, Maurice White, The Golson family, George Benson, Nichelle Nichols, and southern California for giving me the tools and drama to survive anything and pursue the things I believed in.

To the cities of Beverly Hills and West Hollywood for showing me the surreal, the ridiculous, the unforgiving, the coldness in the middle of the desert and the energy of youth to deal with you. To the Crenshaw, downtown and Compton neighborhoods for letting me breathe real air and just be around it.

To Larry Konis for teaching me about quality.

To Hip Hop music. From the moment I heard Slick Rick, Dana Dane on community radio and attended my first Uncle Jam's Army stadium party, I knew there was something I could sell but not sellout.

To Noc On Wood Records for first giving me the sole opportunity to implement a national record company launch and strategy, and then to participate in a family I always knew were out there, somewhere.............

To ARS Records, Keek Loc The Ghetto Prez, Eric the barber, Earl @ Earl's Cuts And Styles and Valentine for being the ONLY PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T JUDGE when I first hit the 206. To all who came around, in due time.

To all the MC's, producers, DJ's (who really are the ones that started the entire thing), tastemakers, video shows, radio, retail, the promoters and websites, clubs, venues big and small and way too many of you to mention but you all know our stories and silliness together, hopefully we are having fun too.

To the clients, large and small. Each record or project is a part of me.

To the City of Seattle for giving my life back. To the entire Consolidated Restaurants family. It was and is major work but who cares?!! Never have I known such real people.

To all the hard working staff in front of these clubs and running these bar tabs! You keep the rest of us bums happy and safe.

And finally, a giant shout out to those of you still in the dark ages, this is the dawn of a new age, be a part of it. Make great things happen everyday!

BUZZ FOR NOVEMBER: Who's president? New Life Project w/ Kanye West, Blue Scholars/Byrdie Collabo (Seattle), JetBlue/Terminal 5 @ JFK, new A.M. drivetime show on X104.5 in Seattle, Web 2.0 , William Kennedy Smith, Jean Grae, Howard Stern, Rum Alexanders.

Gene Dexter, urban futurist
CrazyPinoy.com